Take Me, Break Me, and Make Me

Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

Introduction:

Dr. J. Frank Norris used to pray, "Lord take me, break me, and make me." God answered his prayer. How many of us can pray that prayer today?

I. Lord, Take Me. ("...present you bodies...")

It is one thing to be saved in soul and another thing to be surrendered in life.

God wants our life as well as our soul. Many are willing to give God their soul because they want to go to heaven...but it is God's will that we give Him our life as well, so that others can go to heaven.

To say "take me" means to make an unconditional surrender to God.

It means to give all to Him.

To say "take me" means that we do not have any reservations.

(Not "I will but...this or that."). Some have reservations about serving Christ. We must admit it if we do have reservations because we are not fooling many people and we definitely are not fooling God.

To say "take me" means complete obedience.

(1 Sam. 15:3,8-9,22-23) King Saul had an incomplete obedience. God said, God and smite Amalek and utterly destroy all that they have and spare them not. But Saul spared Agag the King and the best sheep, oxen and lambs.Samuel the Prophet said, "Hath the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice and to hearken than the fat of rams. For rebelling is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word of the

We have too many saved people who want their will to be done instead of God's will. You will never be happy until you can say, "God your will be done in my life...not mine" like Jesus said at Gethsemane.

Our heart must be broken.

...broken over our own sins.

...broken over our church member's sins.

...broken over the sins of our city.

...broken over the sins of America. (the throwing out of the 10 commandments everywhere, etc.)

What will it take to break your heart?III. Lord Make Me. ("...your reasonable service...")

We need to become fruitful, serving Christians.

Make me to be faithful.

Faithfulness is the greatest virtue of the Christian religion because anybody can be faithful.

...faithful to church.

...faithful in Bible study.

...faithful in prayer.

Make me a soul winner.

Matt. 4:19 And he saith unto them, follow me and I will make you fishers of men.

Dr. Norris said, "When a preacher quits winning souls, he is through. Win souls when you feel like it and above all win them when you don't feel like it."

Make me strong.

...strong in convictions.

...strong morally.

...strong doctrinally.

...strong in our stand for the truth.Conclusion:

Will you pray the prayer, "Lord, take me, break me, and make me"? Whatever that means for you, that prayer must be prayed if you want God's will for your life and God's blessings on your life. Pray that prayer right now as we bow our heads in prayer to the Lord our God.

Note from Mark: What a great sermon. Surrender to the Lord is the key to successful ministry. He must take us, break us and make us. (By the way, Dr. James E. Hollingsworth is my Dad!) Thanks for the sermon Dad.

Comments for Take Me, Break Me, and Make Me

I have been praying this for over a year, since I heard my pastor speak of it at that time. I love it so much that I pray it over my 6 children and their spouses as well as my 6 little grand children. I know the taking and breaking of my children and grandchildren will cause me heartache on many levels, but I also know that the heartbreak it causes will be for eternal joy.

I have a grown child that has struggled and continues to struggle with drug addiction. I know this child of mine was fearfully and wonderfully made by God, yet there are days I am paralyzed by sadness, asking God why my child has had to endure so many years of anxiety and fear in the grip of the addiction. He always delivers me out of this abyss of hopelessness and gives me His hope again.

I know my Thomas is in God’s hands and in God’s Plan and I know God’s Ways are not our ways. In my darkest hours, I know God is holding me near, so He must be holding Thomas always. God blessed me with 6 children and I know my job is to have faith and to spread the eternal Hope, no matter what our circumstances are. Thankfully Yous, my Jesus!

Oct 30, 2014

hit homeby: Rev, Gray

First i would like to Thank you for them powerful words. I had a wonderful life until 2010. When i lost my wife, my mate, my friend,my right hand. my life was turn up side down, so i prayed for Him to take to take me, break me, and make me and He did. That's why i am here today reading this sermon that God took me back so i can read this Blessing, so i can say today you must be willing to stay in there no matter what God allows to come. Now if God allowed it, Than it must be there to bless you. One of the most powerful things about coming to your breaking point is that you will discovered what David discovered. David says he was about to faint or give up. He was about to fold or resign, but he saw something. David saw the goodness of God moving in the land of the living.

This is the providence of God. God is actively involved in the lives of people. He is not just standing by saying he will just let things happen. No matter how difficult the pain, God is moving in it. You have to have the right perspective. It is about how you look at a thing. if you you look at your problem crazy and it will look at you crazy. David says he believed to see the goodness of the lord in the land of the living. David says it is really about: Our Faith- in verse 13, David says though he had circumstances, he yet believed. Though he has drama in verse 12, he still believed. Anyone can have faith while all is well, but what will you do when the bottom falls out? When the bottom falls out, this is when you say, "Yet i believe."If they lay us off, we will still believe! IF things don't work out the way i want them to, I will yet believe.

Dec 08, 2013

Thy will be done.by: Anonymous

I protect myself and put up too many walls, I believe he rather breaks me apart so that I can become who or what I'm supposed to be. It hurts while it lasts but now I'm thankful.

Dec 05, 2008

Amen!by: Anonymous

Great message!

As one whose life had been fettered with sin and in bondage of addictions, I received Jesus Christ as my Lord, Saviour, and my Strength to overcome my weaknesses. The marks of sin had left me unable to recite my own phone number.

It was at that time, that I claimed Romans 12:1-2 as my life's verses. I would recite the words over and over as my body detoxified from all the poisons. It was funny at the time, but since I had no church background, I learned these verses before I memorized John 3:16!

Thank you for this great reminder of how the Lord will accept us as we are, show us how we have been, and transform us into what we were meant to be, by the power of His blood!